Hopper car discharge structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834230-B2
Application number	US-201514722315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2015
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A bottom discharge open topped hopper car has a center sill with a bottom flange having laterally protruding edges. A shed plate assembly is provided to discourage accumulation of product on the exposed upwardly facing shelf otherwise presented by the bottom flange protrusions. The shed plate assembly may be mounted to the center sill in a manner that avoids impairment of the stress performance of the flanges of the center sill, whether by mechanical fastenings to other objects, or welding to objects that are not the center sill. The shed plate assembly may have walls having upper margins that are higher than the upper extremity of the hopper discharge opening such that the shelf of the center sill bottom flange is in the lee of, or sheltered by, the shed plate. The lading may thereby move under the influence of gravity past the shed plate to its desired unloading receptacle.

First claim

We claim:

1. A railroad hopper car structure for a hopper car having at least a first hopper, that first hopper having a downwardly opening discharge section, the discharge section having an opening through which to discharge lading, said opening having a periphery, said structure comprising:
a center sill, said center sill having at least a first shear web and a first flange;
said first shear web standing upwardly of said first flange;
said first flange having a margin extending laterally outboard of said first shear web; and
a wall member extending upwardly of said margin of said first flange, said wall member being located between said first flange and the periphery of the opening of the discharge section, at least the majority of said margin of said first flange being located in the lee of said wall member.

2. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 , wherein said wall member extends from a height below the periphery of the discharge section opening to a height higher than at least a portion of the periphery of the discharge opening.

3. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 wherein said wall member has an upper margin, and said upper margin of said wall member lies at a greater height than an uppermost portion of the periphery of the opening.

4. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 wherein said wall member extends from a height below at least a portion of the periphery of the discharge section opening to a height that is above all of the periphery of the discharge opening.

5. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 wherein substantially all of said flange adjacent to the hopper discharge section is sheltered behind said wall member.

6. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 wherein said flange has an outermost distal tip most laterally outboard of said web, and said wall member extends outboard of said distal tip.

7. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 wherein said wall member is secured in place other than by weldment to said center sill.

8. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 wherein said wall member is secured in place without attachment to said center sill.

9. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 wherein said wall member is secured to the discharge section of the hopper.

10. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 wherein said wall member has a curved upper margin that seats about a service delivery conduit.

11. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said wall member is maintained in position by a retainer that extends at least partially underneath the center sill.

12. A railroad hopper car comprising:
at least a first hopper, that first hopper having a downwardly opening discharge section, the discharge section having an opening through which to discharge lading, said opening having a periphery;
a center sill, said center sill having at least a first shear web and a first flange;
said first shear web standing upwardly of said first flange;
said flange having a margin extending laterally outboard of said web; and
a wall member extending upwardly of said margin of said flange, said wall member being located between said flange and the periphery of the discharge opening, at least the majority of said margin of said flange being located in the lee of said wall member.

13. The railroad hopper car of claim 12 , wherein said wall member extends from a height below the periphery of the discharge section opening to a height higher than at least a portion of the periphery of the discharge opening.

14. The railroad hopper car of claim 12 wherein said wall member has an upper margin, and said upper margin of said wall member lies at a greater height than an uppermost portion of the periphery of the opening.

15. The railroad hopper car of claim 12 wherein said wall member extends from a height below at least a portion of the periphery of the discharge section opening to a height that is above all of the periphery of the discharge opening.

16. The railroad hopper car of claim 12 wherein all of said flange adjacent to said hopper discharge section is sheltered behind said wall member.

17. The railroad hopper car of claim 12 wherein said wall member is secured in place other than by weldment to said center sill.

18. The railroad hopper car of claim 12 wherein at least one of:
(a) said wall member is secured in place without attachment to said center sill;
(b) said wall member is secured to the discharge section of the hopper; and
(c) said wall member has a curved upper margin that seats about a service delivery conduit.

19. The railroad hopper car of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of said wall member is maintained in position by a retainer that extends at least partially underneath the center sill.

20. The railroad hopper car of claim 12 wherein:
said wall member has the form of a plate having an angle formed therein such that the wall member has a first portion and a second portion; and
said first portion defines a first flange of the wall member for engagement with the flange of the center sill, and said flange of the wall is positioned one of
(a) on an upper surface of said flange of said center sill; and
(b) to curl around said flange and extend at least partially therebelow;

said second portion extends upwardly from said first portion, and said second portion has an upper margin that is one of
(a) mounted to a portion of the discharge section at a height above any uppermost portion of said periphery of said discharge opening;
(b) secured to said center sill other than by welding; and
(c) is formed to seat about a services conduit.

21. The railroad hopper car structure of claim 1 , the hopper structure having a movable door for mating engagement with the periphery of the discharge section, and wherein said wall member is located in a position in which the door swings past at least a portion of said wall member during opening of the door.

22. The railroad hopper car of claim 12 , wherein said first hopper has a movable door operable to mate with the periphery of the discharge section, and when said door opens, said door swings downwardly past at least a portion of said wall member during opening of the door.

Assignees

• Nat Steel Car Ltd

Inventors

• Agahi Maryam
• Hematian Jamal

Classifications

• B61D7/04 Primary

  the openings being above axle level during discharge · CPC title

• B61D7/24

  Opening or closing means · CPC title

• B61D7/18

  pivoted · CPC title